Hi, I’m Lisa Vogt.

I help people to pursue a meaningful future.

I help people take action to lead more fulfilling lives.

I’m a life coach and podcast producer who believes you can have a full family life while using your talents, skills and experience in new, fulfilling ways.

I love to work with men and women to help them discover and turn their hidden dreams into reality.

My clients want to find and follow their purpose, but are having trouble getting started. With my help, they find the confidence to try new projects that make them feel excited about their future. Together, we set and pursue new goals to achieve a more fulfilling life.

This is my story.

I grew up in the Rochester, N.Y. area, graduated from Colgate University (where I majored in English and played soccer and rugby) and earned an M.B.A. from the University of Rochester. Soon after graduating I moved to the Washington, D.C. area to pursue career and social opportunities.

I’m happy to share that I found both!

I met my husband, Tim, doing volunteer work (at a beer festival in D.C.), and our son, Conner, is a teenager who is now researching colleges.

When Conner was born, we struggled with how to balance child care and our careers. After trying and rejecting several options, we decided that Tim should leave his job to become a full-time, at-home-dad.

Tim and Conner happily bonded through years of fishing at the canal, playing baseball, basketball, golf, tennis, cupball (their own invention), visiting constructions sites to watch projects progress, and reading hundreds of books together.

During this time, I worked for a telecommunications company managing a multi-million dollar budget and dozens of staff members. I led a team that built the company’s first eCommerce systems. I got to hire and build a team, solve problems in a fast-paced environment, work with smart people, and be a part of the Internet economy.

It was my dream job!

Until it wasn’t.

People sometimes ask themselves, “What would I do differently if I knew I had a life-threatening illness?” I began asking myself a similar question. Although I didn’t have an illness, I had a job that was sucking the life out of me.

I knew that the 60+ hours per week I spent at work, and the 10+ hours I spent commuting could be better used.

I wanted to make a more positive contribution to the world, to develop a real social life, and to get involved with our community.

I knew I needed to make a change. But to do what?!

Tim and I spent almost two years researching business opportunities. Every day, we took one action, no matter how small, to figure out our next step. We met with consultants, went to trade shows, read industry publications, and analyzed business opportunities.

We ultimately purchased a 24,000 square foot children’s play and learning facility. It had a real, full-size fire engine and ambulance, a giant sandbox, dress-up area, over-sized blocks, and party rooms. And, we created a store that sold educational toys.

The business thrived!

And then the economy tanked.

I knew I needed to make a change…again. But to do what?!

I thought carefully about my values, experience and skills, and realized that I felt most fulfilled when my work was driven by a purpose…a distinct mission.

So I updated my resume and set out to find a meaningful job with a non-profit organization.

I soon found a digital marketing position with SOS Children’s Villages, which provides long-term, stable homes for orphaned, abandoned and abused children. I was able to expand their fundraising initiatives to help provide children in the U.S. and around the world with stable homes. I managed corporate and celebrity partnerships, worked closely with the Jolie-Pitt Foundation, and had an amazing meeting with Angelina Jolie at her home in L.A.

In just a few years, I had transitioned from unhappily toiling in a telecommunications company, to owning a family-oriented business, to helping provide children with stable homes.

I was helping others, developing my skills, and meeting people that I had never dreamed of meeting before. One step led to another, and another, and another.

My habit of taking action prepared me for what came next…breast cancer.

It all started with a routine, annual mammogram.

The radiologist spotted something suspicious and asked me to return for a follow-up appointment. He showed me “calcification” spots that had shifted over the past few years and said that these could be a sign of cancer, or they might be benign. This finding sent me into a frenzy of biopsies, sonograms, an MRI, other tests and consultations.

I was ultimately diagnosed with breast cancer and chose to have a bilateral mastectomy and reconstructive surgery.

Thanks to my family, my surgical team, and friends, I had an amazing experience. I am grateful that today I am doing very well with a 1% chance of recurrence. I do Pilates and yoga to stay flexible and rebuild my upper body strength, and walk, row, or do a cycle class almost every day.

I feel blessed to have experienced so much in my life – including the challenges and struggles. All of it has made me more understanding and resilient, and prepared me to help others with life transitions.

Now, I help men and women take the next step in their lives.

I do this through coaching women who are ready to make a change, and through my weekly podcast, Ever Better.

Through the podcast I’m able to put positive, inspiring messages into the world. I share discussions with people who are living extraordinary lives and making a difference in their communities. And, I share my perspective and stories of my personal and professional experiences.

Through my coaching, I use everything I’ve learned in my life journey to help women discover what’s next in their lives.

Are you excited about your future?

I know that it can be hard to work up the confidence to start shifting your life. But I also know from personal experience, that once you get started, you’ll discover possibilities that light you up, resilience that will help when you most need it, and possibilities that you didn’t know existed.

When you work with me, you will:

• Feel excited about your future and have a clearer vision of what’s possible in your life.

• Have a greater sense of purpose and motivation, knowing that you can more fully use your skills, talents and knowledge.

• Enjoy exploring your interests so that you can discover projects that light you up.

• Be more self-confident and ready to share your talents with the world.

If you’re ready to start shaping your future, I’d love to work with you.

Reserve a 30-minute, one-on-one, complimentary consultation with me. Click this scheduling link to book an appointment and let’s get started!

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The Ever Better Podcast

On the Ever Better Podcast, you’ll hear candid discussions with people who are living extraordinary lives, and making a difference in their communities. Guests are striving to continuously learn and improve, and they openly discuss their struggles and victories. They share stories of career and personal transitions, and their practices for creating fulfilling, exciting lives. And, I share a perspective that has grown out of my personal and professional experiences that I hope inspires others. Check out recent episodes below.

Dr. Sheela Reddy is a psychologist, executive coach, and mother of two girls, who is passionate about helping women who are suffering through domestic abuse. Growing up in India,Read More →

Dan Warburton is a transformational coach who lives in Brighton, England and spends a great deal of time in London. Dan specializes in coaching entrepreneurs and business owners toRead More →

Will Wise is a professional question-asker! As Chief Weologist at We!, he helps connect people to people and people to ideas. His newly released book, Ask Powerful Questions, isRead More →

The Ever Better Podcast is back from hiatus. Listen for stories about inspiring career and life transitions. Read More >>

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eBook

What interests you? Have you taken the time to ask yourself that question lately? Are you striving each day to be ever better?

In college or graduate school, you had to declare a major, the one subject you would study, debate, write about and even dream about. It was the focus of your life for four or more years. While challenging, those years were probably a magical time when your world revolved around learning for learning’s sake, not just preparation for a career. Developing knowledge and skills in a particular subject alongside people your own age was an incredible experience. But after earning your degree, life undoubtedly changed.

As my life has progressed, I’ve turned to formal educational programs and informal learning to help guide my personal and professional development. This learning habit provided a structure to research and overcome challenges – including a breast cancer diagnosis.

Ever Better approaches learning from a different perspective. This may be the first book you’ve read that is dedicated to helping you find practical methods for motivating yourself through learning and fitting it into your busy schedule. I share ways to keep learning with readily available options that fit into the 24-hour daily limit that we all struggle with.

Why Ever Better? In the past few years, I have gained a great appreciation for the resources described in this book. They’ve helped me to become better each day, to develop and sustain levels of confidence and optimism that have buoyed me through challenges at work, in my personal life and even through breast cancer.

I’ve often shared my discovery of Podcasts, videos, online classes, news sources, and even library resources with friends and family. Through many conversations, I realized that others could benefit from my research and experimentation, so I set about writing down my daily practices to share with others.

This book is my way of paying forward the blessings I’ve experienced through striving to be ever better. I hope it helps you to live a more fulfilling life.